Marie

Just curious, I've been riding at my barn for almost a year and a half now, and I wouldn't change for any other place! The people are nice, my trainer is awesome, and all the amenities fit my needs perfectly! Are you at a barn that feels like the perfect fit for you and your horse? If not, what does your ideal barn have to offer?

I know this is kinda early, but it's just for fun! What did you guys put on your list this year? (Either to yourself, or what you're hoping to get as a gift from somebody else) Your items can be for you or your horse, of course... :) This is what I'm hoping to look into this year: DAFNA Blizzard Winter Boots, DevonAire Ladies North Park Field Boots, TuffRider Winter Riding Gloves, SSG Fleece Lined Gripper Gloves, and TuffRider Ladies Ribb Low Rise Breeches. That's all I've got so far!

So to make it short, there's a new client at my stable. A couple and their daughter. The couple bought their daughter a horse hoping she'd be interested in horses, but she's not at all. The owner of my barn told me about them, and I was hoping to ask them if maybe they could find out if the couple was interested in having anyone lease their horse... Would it be rude to ask the couple if I could exercise their horse for them since their daughter doesn't have any interest in him? I wouldn't even ask to be payed, I could do it for free or I could even pay them... I just don't want to sound like I'm being too nosey or personal... Obviously I would also set up days and times with them, and I would probably do a test run to see if were a good fit. Opinions?? :)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/80261396@N04/80252128... heres my dress and shoes

my nails now: http://www.flickr.com/photos/80261396@N04/80252178...

its for homecoming this saturday. im out of ideas! :/

for homecoming, i have a black strapless dress with matching heels that have silver rhinestones on them. i have a silver ring and bracelet to match. what color should i do my nails? i was thinking ruby red

http://www.mbeautylounge.com/nailpolish/2414-1585-... im only 14 so i dont want the color to be serious, and i dont want it to be too bright. im open to opinions!

simply put: the guy i like is my neighbor. we both really like the same show. we talk about it a lot. would it be weird to ask if we could hangout and watch it together sometime? like, not as a date. just to hangout together. i have his number but he doesnt text back so i dont text him anymore.

so i've just started leasing a new horse and he's pretty out of shape. he hasn't been worked in a couple of months, and it shows. when I was riding within 10 minutes of just walk-trot work he was already starting to wheeze and slow down. hes a gentle giant but very lazy. i ride english but im using a western bridle on him because the owner doesnt own an english bridle. i can tell hes a good horse for leasing because of how easy going he is but he exhausts easily. ideas on getting him back in shape?

I've had my eyes on this pair http://www.doversaddlery.com/dev-aire-n-park-syn+f... for a while but I'm still not ready to buy because of the price. I have very big calves, lol. I've been riding in half chaps and paddock boots for a while now but the half chaps are coming apart. I tend to wear size wide-xwide in tall boots because I can't fit into any other size. I have short legs, wide calves, and small feet. I'm a size 7 1/2 in boots. Does anyone recommend any good tall boots/half chaps that'll fit a rider with larger calves? (My calf height is 17 and the width is 16') Also, if they could be under $100 that would be great!

I just started jumping on Sunday, so it's all very new to me. Yes I have a trainer, but I'd still like to learn as much as I can before my next lesson. I'm having trouble releasing after the jump, which is something I'd like to work on. So...any tips? :-)

Let me explain, months ago I leased this beautiful Arabian Quarter x mare. She was 9 at the time, and I was doing a shared lease with my friend. Now, I haven't had much experience handling horses before. I had only taken a few camps beforehand, so I was depending on my friend to walk me through properly riding and handling her. She had her moments, but not in any way was she a bad horse. She was just, moody. Anyways, one day we were out in the arena. It was nighttime, but we had the outdoor arena lights on. My friends were sitting in the middle of the arena while I was riding her around a couple of times. I guess I got caught up in the moment and let her go at a fast trot. A fast trot broke out into a canter, and I panicked. She bucked me off immediately. It wasn't just a quick buck, she acted like she wanted me to go flying halfway across the arena! I fell off right after and at first I didn't feel any pain. I was just shocked. She started going after me, still bucking. I was on the ground so I couldn't get up fast enough. Luckily, she stopped right before she stepped on me. I think I ended up bruising a few ribs and I was sore for a couple of weeks. Anyways, I stopped riding and just worked on groundwork with her. It made a big difference, she was much more calm and attentive. Anyways, ever since that experience I'm afraid of cantering. I just don't feel safe when my lesson horse speeds up, I feel like I'm going to lose all control and end up getting flung off again. I tense up and tug on the reins too much when I feel him speeding up. I'm working on that fear, and I feel at today's lesson I might be able to try it. Have you ever developed a fear from falling off of a horse? Or even getting injured by one? How did you overcome your fear?

Sorry...this is my only photo. :( http://www.flickr.com/photos/80261396@N04/76588061...

This was me at my show first show last weekend. We didn't place, but I had a lot of fun! I now know what to expect and how everything works. Next time I'll be ready! :) I don't have any videos uploaded yet, but I will put one up in a little while...

I can't decide on which pair of tall boots to pick. Here is my first choice: http://www.doversaddlery.com/saxon-equi-leather%3f...

This is my second choice: http://www.doversaddlery.com/dev-aire-n-park-syn+f...

The price doesn't matter for either of them. Which pair do you think is better quality? Which pair do you think is more suited to a person with large calves?

...for $100-150? I know that's a small budget but I don't want to spend too much right now. I'm going to either be wearing them during my lessons to replace my paddock boots and half chaps, or just keep them for showing. I've been riding for about half a year now so I feel it's time to upgrade... :) I know Ariats are really nice, but I don't think I could afford a pair right now. I went to my tack store to look around but even a pair of used Ariats were almost $300. :(

I just got my new half chaps and paddock boots today. My boots fit fine, but my chaps were too small. I'm returning them tomorrow, but now I'm not sure what to do. I have a show on Sunday and I was really hoping to get a new set... I have another pair of half chaps but I've been using them for my lessons. They're suede: http://www.horse.com/item/suede-schooling-half-cha... Would these be fine for just a low level schooling show? Last time I went I saw some other people wearing these but they were younger than me. I've had these for almost half a year so they've held up well. The only problem is they get dirty easily. I also have another option to go to the tack store tomorrow and try to find a pair of gently used or new half chaps. Should I just stick with the chaps I have? Or should I go try to find another pair tomorrow?

I ride English and I have my first show on Sunday. It's a local schooling show so nothing too serious. I've been once before but I was only watching to get a feel of the atmosphere and how things work. I'm going to be doing walk trot classes and a couple equitation classes. So far I have a helmet, a velvet helmet cover, a hair net, gloves, breeches, half chaps, and paddock boots. Oh, and I don't have a show jacket so I'll be wearing a white polo shirt instead. Is this enough, am I missing anything? Also, does anyone have any helpful tips to calm my nerves? What was your first horse show like? Any good or bad experiences? I'm really excited and hopeful, but whether I leave with a ribbon or not I don't care. I'm showing for the experience and the fun of it!

The boots: http://www.doversaddlery.com/middleburg-zip-paddoc...

The half chaps: http://www.doversaddlery.com/dublin-e-z-care-mesh-...

I have a show coming up this Sunday...and although I'd prefer a pair of tall boots, all the good quality ones are out of my budget. It's a local show, and contestants are allowed to wear paddock boots and half chaps. Are these good quality? In your opinion, are these any good for showing? Also, I have large calves but short legs so I'm not sure whether to order a size up... I'm size 8, but I can't decide whether I should get large or extra large. Last time I measured my calves they were 15" but that was over 6 months ago... Should I order extra large, which is 15 1/2 inches?

...With these boots? http://www.doversaddlery.com/saxon-equi-leather%3f... I have a show coming up this weekend and I really need a pair of new boots... Are these good quality? I'm a size 8, with large calves. I'm not sure whether to buy wide or extra wide... If I buy extra wide I'll have to move up to size 8 1/2 since they're sold out on 8's. What should I do? I don't want them to end up being to small or too large... Should I try 8 wide or 8 1/2 extra wide?

Is it possible to lose 5 pounds a week? Do you have any health tips for me? Got any good exercise/diet routines? Please... I'm starting High School this year and I want to lose at least 20 pounds by August!

Okay I know this may sound like something I should ask a vet, but I don't own a horse. Ideally, how often should a horse have it's hooves trimmed? What about de-worming, how often should a horse be de-wormed? Is there a specific schedule with different medications the horse should be on? How often should a horse have it's teeth floated? What are some signs to look for to tell you if it's time to get them floated or not? Sorry for all the questions... I don't own a horse but I'm wanting to learn more about these things...

What questions should I ask when looking to buy a horse? What would I do if I was adopting? I know some basic questions, but when I go out to look at one I want to be 100% sure I find out everything I need to know about the horse. (Also, I'm bringing my trainer with me to see what she says about the horse.)